


Un-Lost

by Rinkafic



Series: Keri 'verse [25]
Category: Stargate SG-1, Stargate Universe
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-08
Updated: 2013-02-08
Packaged: 2017-11-28 14:23:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/675381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinkafic/pseuds/Rinkafic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone lost isn't any longer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Un-Lost

The Gate flared to life, drawing Evan’s attention away from his paperwork. He checked the time and saw that AG-3 was right on time for their scheduled report-back. He turned his attention to the incident report he was trying to decipher. 

“Sir? Sub-Commander Caldwell is requesting to speak with you,” Chuck said over the comm. Evan left his desk and went to Control, standing behind Chuck. 

“Caldwell?” Evan pressed the button to open the comm. 

Caldwell’s voice seemed to be coming through a windstorm. “Commander Lorne. We’ve got a situation. There’s a man the villagers claim is one of ours. He needs medical attention, and could you possibly send someone from the _Endeavor_ crew through to settle the matter of his identity?”

They were not missing any personnel. “Which you believe to be...?” Evan asked.

“Our trading friend here say he’s Nicholas Rush.”

~*~

Janet Fraiser crouched beside the pallet where a thin man was thrashing in delirium. She pushed his long hair off his sweaty face as Major Mark Carter crouched beside her, squinting in the dim light of the hut to make out the angular features.

“That’s him. I don’t believe it, he’s been gone six years, Janet,” Mark breathed.

She had a stethoscope pressed to Rush’s chest. “He’s got a high fever, but his lungs are clear.” She pressed a hand to Rush’s shoulder and squeezed. “Doctor Rush? Nicholas, can you hear me?” 

Janet called his name a few more times before he slowly opened his eyes and stared at her with a numb and glazed expression. She patted his chest as the marines that had come with them moved up behind her with a stretcher. “You’re going to be fine, Doctor Rush. We’re going to take you to our infirmary.”

“No. Trail,” he whispered, shaking his head and pulling away when Janet slid an arm under him to lift him. “Can’t leave trail.” He looked up at Mark in panic. 

“It’s okay, Doctor Rush, Atlantis found the trail a long time ago. You did it. It’s time for you to rest.” 

“Rest?”

Doctor Fraiser smiled at her patient. “Yes. A stay in the Atlantis infirmary will do wonders for you.” She tucked the edges of a blanket around him after he was carefully and gently moved to the stretcher. “Settle back and rest.”

~*~

When Nicholas opened his eyes, he was surprised to see himself surrounded by clean, shiny machinery. Then memories came back, of the Major leaning over him and telling him it was over. Of a strange doctor with pretty eyes injecting him with something. 

Atlantis? Was it truly over? The pain in his foot was almost gone. He tugged the sheet aside and lifted it, a clean white bandage was wrapped around his left foot. He had stepped wrong and the worn leather of his boot had shredded against a rock. His foot had been sliced open and become infected. There was an IV drip hanging beside the bed, so he assumed he had been given some antibiotics. 

“Awake? Good. I’m Doctor Fraiser.” The doctor with the pretty eyes came over to the bedside. “How are you feeling, Doctor Rush?”

“Glad to be alive. My foot feels much better.”

“Nasty infection. We’ve got you on an antibiotic. I suspect you’ll be back on your feet, pardon the pun, in a few days.”

Rush smiled and pushed the hair back from his face. “Am I remembering things correctly? Is this Atlantis?”

She pulled over a stool. “You are, it is. Welcome. You’re a bit of a hero around here, Doctor Rush. Your trail led us to the survivors of the _Endeavor._ ”

“I’m no hero. But it was worth the trouble, if they’re safe. This is not an easy place to find, I’ll have you know,” Rush smiled and shook his head as he remembered the trials he had been through in recent years as he attempted to find the Ancient City. “How long have they been here?”

“Almost five years.” She patted his arm when he startled in surprise. “You left them a little over six years ago.”

He frowned. “So long. I lost track of time, moving around.”

“There are a lot of people waiting to see you, but I want you to rest, Doctor Rush.”

“Please, call me Nicholas.”  
“On the condition that you call me Janet,” she said with a small smile and a faint blush as he stared up at her intently. 

“I can do that, Janet.” He nodded and settled back against the pillow. “Janet?” he called when she turned to leave.

“Yes?”

“What am I going to do now?” he asked quietly, though that had not been what he intended to say, it had just tumbled out.

Tilting her head, she regarded him studiously. “You stop running. You live. Go back to your research, or find new projects to work on. Or learn something completely new. There’s no hurry, and I’m sure every one of the science departments will be clamouring to get your attention.”

He smiled and closed his eyes, reassured. He had been concerned that he would be tossed back out into the field, that he would find Atlantis at war. But it seemed all was well. It was quiet and peaceful here. 

“I’ll check in on you later, Nicholas.”

“I look forward to seeing you, Janet,” he mumbled in reply before he drifted off to sleep.

 

The End


End file.
